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The Dutch Province Flevoland – A Peculiar Story Posted by Sten on Oct 20, 2015
The province of Flevoland has not always existed. Not only in its name and demarcation – no, the actual land did not exist. It came into existence as the last of the twelve Dutch provincies. The northern Noordoostpolder (the top red part of the province in the map below) was added to the already existing land. The lower two parts…
The Super Scary Dutch G Posted by Sten on Oct 17, 2015
If you are learning Dutch at the moment, you are undoubtedly trying to pronounce the words too – and one thing I found many people find very difficult is the pronounciation of the letter G in most cases. Now, I am referring to the Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands (ABN), in which the G is not soft…
VLA is Dutch – all you need to know Posted by Sten on Oct 12, 2015
VLA – what do these three letters mean in the Netherlands? A mysterious secret service? A shortcut for a big city in the Netherlands? Maybe something… astronomical? All NO, NO, NO! I am talking about something delicious here. The Netherlands is famous for its Heineken beer, its cheeses, bikes, marijuana, dykes and flatness. But not for…
200 Years Dutch Staten-Generaal! Posted by Sten on Oct 10, 2015
2015 is a year of anniversaries! The celebrations for 200 years of Dutch Kingdom just ended. That started in 1815. And the province Drenthe turned 200 years old. It is also the year that the Dutch Staten-Generaal (States-General) turned 200 years old. What is this Staten-Generaal exactly? It is the word that refers to the Dutch Eerste Kamer (First Chamber…
25 Jaar Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden – The Most Successful Dutch Soap Opera Posted by Sten on Oct 5, 2015
Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden – Good times, Bad times. It is a seminal soap opera on Dutch television, which is based on the Australian “The Restless Years”. The first episode of GTST, as it is also called, was broadcast on October 1, 1990 on TV Channel RTL 4. It was the first soap opera in continental…
50 Years 3FM – Some Dutch radio history Posted by Sten on Oct 3, 2015
This week, Dutch radio channel 3FM turned 50 years old. The public channel is one of the most popular and hip ones on the air, in particular with its by now legendary morning show host Giel Beelen. Its main audience is today’s youth, 15-35 year-olds. A lot of different styles are played, from rock to…
8 Things You Have To Know About The Dutch Verzuiling Posted by Sten on Oct 2, 2015
A significant development in the history of the Netherlands is the so-called verzuiling. It could be translated as pillarization (zuil = pillar). So what does that mean? When did it happen? Who is it about? And, maybe most importantly… Why? 1. It divided society Yes, this is a very bold point, and tells you a bit…